Chemotaxis of Vibrio alginolyticus towards live phage-infected/control Synechococcus cells (VIC project)

This data set summarises the chemotactic response of model heterotrophic bacteria, Vibrio alginolyticus towards phage-infected cyanobacteria Synechococcus cells/exudates respectively. Phage treatments are fully described in: https://doi.org/10.1038/s43705-022-00169-6.

Six microfluidic experiments were conducted each on different days: three with phage infection and three control, uninfected experiments. Both uninfected and phage-infected experiments were performed identically, with the substitution of phage addition for an equivalent volume of SN media in the uninfected experiments. All infection experiments were performed within a week using the same phage stock, with Synechococcus WH8102 as the host. Non-motile host cells were loaded into a microfluidic chamber with the model heterotrophic bacteria V. alginolyticus.

Analysis of the cell spatial distribution over time revealed a strong sustained accumulation of chemotactic bacteria towards phage-infected cyanobacteria, and no measurable accumulation in the control condition. This provides the first direct experimental evidence of chemotaxis of heterotrophic bacteria towards cyanobacteria.